I`ve Never Been To Me----(by Charlene)


Charlene 的這首 “I’ve never been to me”，縱然以前聽不懂歌詞，但旋律及歌聲卻每每讓我出神；中段那充滿感情的口白，更是讓人納悶：她在感歎些什麼？ 你看這段歌詞：“I’ve been to paradise, but I’ve never been to me…” 多麼深的喟歎呀……第一次聽到這首歌是什麼時候呢？已經不可考。只查到 1994 年 9 月，我曾在 BBS 的歌詞討論區 (lyrics) 將這首歌的歌詞存下來，當時網友 fancy 還提到：

發信人: fancy.bbs@csie.nctu (夢工場), 信區: lyrics
標 題: Re: 請問 I’VE NEVER BEEN TO ME 的原唱者是誰?
發信站: 交大資工鳳凰城資訊站 (Wed Sep 28 17:23:39 1994)

Da 喚起了我塵封已久的記憶.
Charlene 她當年以這首歌擠入美國 Billboard 排行榜前十名內 紅極一時.
更驚訝的是 幕後擔任配唱, 合音, 製作是國內知名歌手蚱蜢李恕權.
(如果你注意歌曲末尾的男聲就是)
由此之後 更奠定 Lee 在美國音樂界的地位.
不要小看Lee, 他曾經在Billboard有許多入選歌曲.
這是他們兩多年前受邀至金馬獎典禮時合唱的歌曲時, 我才知道.

p.s. 周慧敏亦有唱

我沒有這專輯，無法考證。頂多是在 Wikipedia 裡看到 Charlene 及她唱的這首歌，1980 年代走紅，卻不幸名列 “one-hit wonder” 一員。所謂的 “one-hit wonder”，差不多就是「一片歌星」的意思：只紅了一首歌、一張專輯、一本書，之後就難以為繼，如流星一般，僅只絢爛一刻。難怪很少看到她的資料。

幾年以來，陸陸續續有人翻唱這首曲子，台港歌星也不例外。我在周慧敏當紅時期聽過她唱的版本，近年來 S.H.E. 的版本也聽過，但總覺得論滄桑遠不如 Charlene，論悠遠、力道也比不過 Charlene；縱然我並沒有仔細對照歌詞，深究這首歌該有的意境及詮釋為何，我只是憑直覺。

我想，只憑直覺，也聽得出來誰把 “I’ve been to paradise, but I’ve never been to me” 這句歌詞唱到心坎裡了吧。

最近用 eMule 找到它的 MP3，一聽之下，竟然不看歌詞也懂了八成，十分雀躍。更讓我高興的是，也連帶找到一段 MPEG-1 格式的影片喔！這段三分鐘半的影片，是她多年之後應邀現場演唱的實況（時間地點不詳）。多虧了這影片，終於看到她的廬山真面目！乍看有點兒像 Carpenters 木匠兄妹裡的妹妹 Karen 喔！可能因為過了數年，嗓音已不若當年來得清亮；可能因為現場演唱，感情投入也不若灌錄唱片時來得細膩；不過，就當作紀念吧！看現場觀眾如痴如醉隨著歌聲緩步起舞，回到 good old times，誰還在乎那點小瑕疵呢？唉，真想跑到現場去喔……

回到這首歌。

一開頭的 “Hey lady, you lady”，是在輕柔的呼喚誰呢？

接下來的這段：

Oh, I’ve been to Georgia and California
  and anywhere I could run
I took the hand of a preacher man
  and we made love in the sun
But I ran out of places and friendly faces
  because I had to be free
I’ve been to paradise
  but I’ve never been to me

呼～～走遍江山萬里，踏遍五湖四海，向外的心，卻找不到回家的路，到不到回到「本心」的路……聽到這裡，總會悸動一陣。（附帶一提： “ran” 這個字，她掌握得太動人了，要注意聽喔！）

是呀，I’ve been to paradise but I’ve never been to me…

我納悶：這種感歎，怎麼會在英文歌曲出現呢？怎麼不是在國語歌曲？論文化傳統，中國古代的儒道釋不都有這種「正心」之學嗎？為什麼在通俗藝術裡，只在李安執導的電影《臥虎藏龍》裡李慕白與玉嬌龍對話中有出現「本心」之辯，在流行歌曲裡卻少見較深刻的內涵？英美歌壇卻時有深刻內涵的歌詞？

通俗藝術，若只抱著流俗藝術、隨俗藝術、低俗藝術心態去創作、經營，只怕再怎麼吹噓「唱片全亞洲熱賣中」，也難挽頹勢。（唱片宣傳們，拜託好不好！你們知不知道「全亞洲」有多大？你的國語唱片真的有銷售到印度、中東、巴勒斯坦嗎？請不要隨便套上「全亞洲熱賣中」這樣的謊話好嗎？）

牢騷完畢，回到這首歌。

歌詞中多處提到些不堪回首的荒唐歲月，似乎在暗指嘻皮時期的種種??? 尤其是這麼一句：

But I took the sweet life,
  I never knew I’d be
  bitter from the sweet

欲飲甜蜜，入喉竟成苦酒；追求甜美，卻反被甜美所噬。呃，好沉痛的懊悔。

以下這段感性的口白，頗有浪子回頭、反璞歸真的心境：

But you know what truth is?
It’s that little baby you’re holding,
  it’s that man you fought with this morning
The same one you’re going
  to make love with tonight
That’s truth, that’s love……

是呀！單純生活之美，是最真、最醇也最久的。That’s truth, that’s love…

整首歌最後面的和聲，把氣氛提到最高點，不絕於耳。

Charlene 精準掌握整首歌的轉折，收放自如。有低迴婉轉，有高潮激昂；有感歎，有沉思，有追憶，有覺悟，是首耐聽的曲子。

---

Hey lady, you lady
cursing at your life
You're a discontented mother
and a regimented wife
I've no doubt you dream about
the things you'll never do
But,
I wish someone had talked to me
like I wanna talk to you....
Ooh I've been to Georgia and California
and, anywhere I could run
I took the hand of a preacher man
and we made love in the sun
but I ran out of places
and friendly faces
because I had to be free
I've been to paradise
but I've never been to me....

Please lady, please, lady
don't just walk away
'cause I have this need to tell you
why I'm all alone today
I can see so much of me
still living in your eyes
won't you share a part
of a weary heart
that has lived million lies....

Ooh I've been to Niec and the Isle of Greece
while I've sipped champagne on a yacht
I've moved like Harlow in Monte Carlo
and showed 'em what I've got
I've been undressed by kings
and I've seen some things
that a woman ain't supposed to see....
I've been to paradise,
but I've never been to me....

Hey, you know what paradise is？ It's a lie. A fantasy we create about

people and places as we'd like them to be.
But you know what truth is？
it's that little baby you're holding
it's that man you fought with this morning
the same one you're going to make love with tonight
that's truth, that's love....

Sometimes I've been to crying for unborn children
that might have made me complete
but I....I took the sweet life
I never knew
I'd be bitter from the sweet
I've spent my life exploring
the subtle whoring
that costs too much to be free....
hey lady....
I've been to paradise....
but I've never been to me....